In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America—the first African-American to serve in that role—she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare.

In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it—in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations—and whose story inspires us to do the same.

Available November 13, 2018.

]]>https://firewireblog.com/2018/05/24/michelle-obama-book-cover-revealed/feed/0larryfireReady Player One To Be Released Digitally On July 3 & On Blu-ray July 24https://firewireblog.com/2018/05/24/ready-player-one-to-be-released-digitally-on-july-3-on-blu-ray-july-24/
https://firewireblog.com/2018/05/24/ready-player-one-to-be-released-digitally-on-july-3-on-blu-ray-july-24/#respondThu, 24 May 2018 08:00:54 +0000http://firewireblog.com/?p=85957

Join an immersive virtual universe when “Ready Player One” arrives on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD. From Warner Bros. Pictures, Amblin Entertainment and Village Roadshow Pictures, along with filmmaker Steven Spielberg, comes the action adventure “Ready Player One,” based on Ernest Cline’s bestseller of the same name, which has become a worldwide phenomenon.

Three-time Oscar winner Spielberg directed the film from a screenplay by Zak Penn and Ernest Cline. It is based on the novel by Cline, which has now spent more than 100 weeks on The New York Times Best Sellers List, recently climbing to the No. 1 spot, as well as reaching No. 1 on Amazon’s Most Read Fiction chart. “Ready Player One” was produced by Donald De Line, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Steven Spielberg and Dan Farah. Adam Somner, Daniel Lupi, Chris deFaria and Bruce Berman served as executive producers.

“Ready Player One” will be available on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack for $44.95, Blu-ray Combo Pack for $35.99 and DVD for $28.98. The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack features an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc with the theatrical version in 4K with HDR, a Blu-ray disc featuring the theatrical version and a Digital version of the movie. The Blu-ray Combo Pack features a Blu-ray disc with the film in hi-definition, a Blu-ray disc with the special features in hi-definition, a DVD with the film in standard definition and a Digital version of the movie.

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc of “Ready Player One” will feature Dolby VisionTM HDR that dramatically expands the color palette and contrast range and uses dynamic metadata to automatically optimize the picture for every screen, frame by frame.

Also, the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D discs of “Ready Player One” will feature a Dolby Atmos soundtrack remixed specifically for the home theater environment to place and move audio anywhere in the room, including overhead. To experience Dolby Atmos at home, a Dolby Atmos enabled AV receiver and additional speakers are required, or a Dolby Atmos enabled sound bar. Dolby Atmos soundtracks are also fully backward compatible with traditional audio configurations and legacy home entertainment equipment.

“Ready Player One” will also be available on Movies Anywhere. Using the free Movies Anywhere app and website, consumers can access all their eligible movies by connecting their Movies Anywhere account with their participating digital retailer accounts.

Fans can also own “Ready Player One” via purchase from digital retailers beginning July 3.

Global icon Dwayne Johnson leads the cast of Legendary’s Skyscraper as former FBI Hostage Rescue Team leader and U.S. war veteran Will Sawyer, who now assesses security for skyscrapers. On assignment in China he finds the tallest, safest building in the world suddenly ablaze, and he’s been framed for it. A wanted man on the run, Will must find those responsible, clear his name and somehow rescue his family who is trapped inside the building…above the fire line.

Stephen King was presented the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award on May 22, 2018

The beloved author received his prize Tuesday night from Morgan Freeman, who starred in the film adaptation of King’s “The Shawshank Redemption.”

King was praised by PEN, the literary and human rights organization, as an advocate for literacy and free expression. PEN’s annual fundraising gala was held at the American Museum of Natural History, where attendees included novelist Margaret Atwood, actors Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and PEN president Jennifer Egan.

Watch the presentation below.

]]>https://firewireblog.com/2018/05/23/morgan-freeman-presents-the-literary-service-award-to-stephen-king-at-pen-americas-literary-gala/feed/0larryfireSteve Martin and Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget For The Rest of Your Life https://firewireblog.com/2018/05/23/steve-martin-and-martin-short-an-evening-you-will-forget-for-the-rest-of-your-life/
https://firewireblog.com/2018/05/23/steve-martin-and-martin-short-an-evening-you-will-forget-for-the-rest-of-your-life/#respondWed, 23 May 2018 08:00:09 +0000http://firewireblog.com/?p=85941

Longtime pals and showbiz icons Steve Martin and Martin Short share countless quips, catchy tunes and hilarious stories about their lives in comedy in their upcoming comedy special, Steve Martin and Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget For The Rest of Your Life.

Watch the premiere on May 25 on Netflix.

]]>https://firewireblog.com/2018/05/23/steve-martin-and-martin-short-an-evening-you-will-forget-for-the-rest-of-your-life/feed/0larryfireOpening Season Just Announced For Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge At Disney Parkshttps://firewireblog.com/2018/05/22/opening-season-just-announced-for-star-wars-galaxys-edge-at-disney-parks/
https://firewireblog.com/2018/05/22/opening-season-just-announced-for-star-wars-galaxys-edge-at-disney-parks/#respondWed, 23 May 2018 05:30:16 +0000http://firewireblog.com/?p=85966

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will open in summer 2019 at Disneyland Resort and in late fall 2019 at Walt Disney World Resort, when guests will land in the middle of the action as they live their own Star Wars stories.

Both east and west coast versions of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will allow guests to visit a remote trading port on the edge of wild space, where Star Wars characters and their stories come to life – and where guests will find themselves in the middle of the action. The lands will feature two major attractions that put guests in the middle of a battle between the First Order and the Resistance. Each attraction – and even the land itself – will offer guests the chance to immerse themselves in the Star Wars universe like never before.

One attraction will make you feel like you’re on a Star Destroyer inside a hangar bay. The second attraction will give guests the opportunity to fly the Millennium Falcon, piloting the ship, shooting blasters or preparing for hyperspace – all while completing a critical mission. But how you perform on the mission holds even bigger stakes: perform with skill and you may earn extra galactic credits, while bringing the ship back banged up could put you on the list of a bounty hunter. End up on Harkos’s list and you may face a problem if you show up at the local cantina!

Guests will also encounter many familiar faces inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, including BB-8, Chewbacca, members of the First Order and – among many others – Rex, the troublesome pilot you may remember from Star Tours, who takes on a new role in this land as the DJ at the cantina. At the cantina guests will be able to try unique concoctions like blue milk. Nearby, they’ll also be able to acquire trinkets and treasures from across the galaxy. You won’t be buying ordinary Star Wars merchandise or T-shirts at the gift shops, but rather special figures and vehicles (like an AT-AT) built by Batuu’s female Toydarians. The toys are inspired by designs from films like The Force Awakens, Rogue One and The Last Jedi.

A Star Wars-inspired resort will also debut as part of the new Disney 360 vacation concept. This new vacation experience will be a living adventure that allows guests to immerse themselves in an entirely new form of Disney storytelling.

Apple today sent press invites to a variety of news and media sites for the upcoming 2018 Worldwide Developers Conference, confirming the company’s plans to hold a keynote event on Monday, June 4 at 10:00 AM Pacific Time.

The keynote will likely see Apple unveil major new versions of iOS, tvOS, watchOS, and macOS, with developer preview editions to follow shortly thereafter. It’s possible Apple will also use the event to unveil new iPad Pro models and new Macs.

]]>https://firewireblog.com/2018/05/22/apple-sends-out-media-invites-for-june-4-keynote-at-wwdc-2018/feed/0larryfireStephen King On “The Outsider” & Where He Gets His Story Ideashttps://firewireblog.com/2018/05/22/stephen-king-on-the-outsider-where-he-gets-his-story-ideas/
https://firewireblog.com/2018/05/22/stephen-king-on-the-outsider-where-he-gets-his-story-ideas/#respondTue, 22 May 2018 14:57:56 +0000http://firewireblog.com/?p=85953

Stephen King, the “King of Horror,” has published more than 50 best-selling titles over the past 44 years. His latest, “The Outsider,” explores the idea of being in two places at the same time.

King joins “CBS This Morning” to discuss what sparked the idea for his new novel and the themes he explores in it.

Production is currently underway on ThunderCats Roar, an all-new, animated sci-fi action comedy series from Warner Bros. Animation. Bursting with over-the-top action and razor-sharp comedy, ThunderCats Roar boasts fresh and vibrant character designs along with a dynamic storytelling tone that promises to reignite the passionate fanbase of these iconic characters and introduce the legacy of Thundera to a whole new generation.

Staying true to the premise of the original series, Lion-O and the ThunderCats — Tygra, Panthro, Cheetara, Wilykat and Wilykit — barely escape the sudden destruction of their home world, Thundera, only to crash land on the mysterious and exotic planet of Third Earth. Lion-O, the newly appointed Lord of the ThunderCats, attempts to lead the team as they make this planet their new home. A bizarre host of creatures and villains stand in their way, including the evil Mumm-Ra, Third Earth’s wicked ruler who will let nothing, including the ThunderCats, stop his tyrannical reign over the planet.

The LEGO Group announced the Powered Up Platform, a suite of new elements and apps, which introduce new ways to bring to LEGO sets to life seamlessly across its System of Play. Revealed today as part of the Powered Up platform, the LEGO Batman App-Controlled Batmobile, inspired by DC’s Caped Crusader, is a buildable LEGO Batmobile that is fully controllable by smart device. It will also incorporate light coding and programming later in 2018.

The LEGO Batman App-Controlled Batmobile, created for children 8 years of age and older, combines LEGO building and remote-control car play. It is the first codeable and programmable LEGO Batmobile that is fully controllable via smart device. Users can steer the Batmobile using one of two preset remote-control interfaces or personalize their experience through a customizable interface. With the interface unlocked, users move sliders, buttons and other elements to customize the remote control to their liking. Through a coding canvas that will be introduced later this year, users can code and re-code speed, direction, sound and duration to program various movements and stunts and create their own unique driving experiences.

The LEGO Batman App-Controlled Batmobile will launch August 1 with the suggested retail price of $99.99 and includes 321 pieces, two motors and a battery hub. The Powered Up App works on phones and tablets running iOS 8.0 and up or Android 5.0 and up.